2004 Europe

Market Cross, Verona, Italy



May 31 – Today we are headed for the Stressa, Italy on the shores of Lake Maggiore. This lake is near the Swiss border and at the foot of the Italian/Swiss Alps. Joe says our string of days where we get up at 6AM and go almost nonstop until 10PM is over, as is the all day walking. We are due for a little break and Lake Maggiore sounds like just the place.



On the way we stopped for touring and eating in Verona, Italy (above), the home of Juliet. When Michel dropped us off outside town the first sight to greet us was the Roman Arena. They still use it for performances and the props for Aida (below) were in the parking lot. It was weird seeing Egyptian things piled outside the Roman Arena. Joe led us over to the Plaza Erbe to orient us to the layout and show us where the market and cafes are located. Then we walked down to Juliet’s house and saw her courtyard and balcony. Of course, Romeo and Juliet is a total work of fiction but that does not deter the determined tourists. The place was packed. There’s a bronze of Juliet in the courtyard and apparently it’s good luck to stand by her and hold her breast because her right breast is rubbed to a high polish (below). The left one seems to get very little action, odd.



At the Erbe Plaza you can still see the old market cross (above) that allowed a community to transact business. There’s a fountain there with the statue of a woman that they currently call the Madonna of Verona despite the fact that it’s a Roman statue. After lunch I bought two delicious peaches from the market and used the fountain to wash them. Of course, not being a dummy, I peeled them before they were eaten. They were fuzzy peaches and I’m here to tell you that when they bred the fuzz off the peach they also removed most of the flavor. The flavor of these peaches was strong and sweet. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Food can do that to me.



Before lunch Diana shopped and I toured. I visited the Maffei Palace, the Lion of St. Mark (Same as at St. Mark’s in Venice, a winged lion), the Gardello Tower and generally people watched. I met up with Larry and Janice and had lunch. I ordered something I never heard of and it turned out to be a ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato, rolled up in thin pizza crust-like dough. It was good. Diana joined us a little later and had some small sandwiches also. On the walk out of the city to the bus we passed an excavation of the Roman Baths (below) from the first century. The have a large viewing area that is right in the middle of the pedestrian walkway. In fact, part of the walkway is over the excavation and is supported by pillars so you can look under.



Then it was back on the bus and off to Stressa. Lake Maggiore is beautiful and the hotel was great. I could get on the wireless network right in my room. I sent at least two reports from there as the first 4 days of the tour were so busy I had no time to do any writing and the night in Venice I didn’t have my computer.



(c) 2004 Rod Longenberger